Pitching Is Not The Problem

Placido Polanco is batting only .186

The last four Phillies games have been on way to late in the night for this guy who wakes up at 5:45am every morning to stay up and watch. So where does that leave me you ask? watching highlights on my iPhone "MLB at Bat" app when I get to work. Seeing the Phillies pitchers get no help what so ever (Joe Blanton included) is a concern, The Phillies offence really needs a boost of some sort. Some sort of presence in the line up to make other guys get pitches to hit. Placido Polanco has to be the first player that comes to everyones mind when thinking about how needs to step up for this team at the plate. Going into Friday nights game in San Diego Polanco is batting only .186 with only 8 hits in 43 at bats with only 1 extra base hit and only 1 RBI. This needs to improve in order for the Phillies to be successful. Second baseman Freddy Galvis is only batting .214 but lets be honest, he is not expected to light the world on fire in his first dozen games of his big league career. Galvis did have a nice 8 game hitting streak snapped last night in San Diego thought, but for a rookie like Galvis to have an 8 game hitting streak, I think that pretty damn good. 

Speaking of playing in San Diego. The Phillies are now a remarkable 23-4 at Petco Park, and have not lost there since dropping an 8-3 decision back on August 16 2008. In that game Kyle Kendrick started and went 3.2 innings before giving way to Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre, and Les Walrond. Ahh memory lane. Its a nice trip isn't it? 

Cliff Lee is still looking
for his first win of 2012

Anyway the last two games have been nothing but pitching. Cliff Lee the hard luck no decision after throwing 10 scoreless innings and last night Vance Worley with 11 strikeouts in 7 scoreless innings in a 2-0 win. Sure they got the win last night scoring only 2 runs but thats not gonna happen every night. The Phillies are 15th in the National League with a mere 37 runs. However, you flip the coin and their 24 runs against is the best in the National League and second least in all of baseball. So in my mind pitching is not the problem and sometimes it looks like the offence knows this and dont have to put up big numbers because their pitchers will bail them out. Thats not a recipe for winning thats for sure. 

Well tonight the Phillies continue their road trip with the second of four games in San Diego. Cole Hamels will be on the mound tonight and the last couple years he has gotten very little run support. So hopefully tonight the offence can get some runs to help out a pitcher and a pitching staff that deserves better. 

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